Weekly Bulletin 23rd February 2020

    Saturday –  Vigil @ 6.30pm  Sunday  10.30am, 12noon & 4pm.  (028 66322272)  www.thegraan.com

Sunday Collection: Came to £1535.  Thank you as always for your generous contributions.    

There will be a Development Collection taken up after Communion today.

Today is the Seventh Sunday of the Year: One of the themes of today’s Scripture Readings at Mass is on “forgiveness”. We give thanks to God for his gentleness and love. We are called to imitate those virtues in our dealings with others. The Eucharist/Mass is a reconciliatory meal. It is in this celebration that the Spirit not only changes bread and wine into his Body and Blood but changes our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. May we be open to allow God’s Spirit to work in our lives.

Today is also Temperance Sunday. The simplest definition of temperance is “that virtue which moderates in us the inordinate desire for sensible pleasure, keeping it within the limits assigned by reason and faith.” We live in an age of excess. We pray that we may always live our lives with balance, moderation, and inner harmony. We remember especially those whose lives have been destroyed by the overuse of alcohol or drugs. 

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday: It marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a day of fast and abstinence. Abstinence means that we do not eat any meat and only one meal on this day. Everyone is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and those under 60 years old are bound to fast .On this day priests administer ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible sign of repentance and penance. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and on  to dust you shall return.” Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” 

Masses on Ash Wednesday: 12.30 pm –  Victor and 8 pm – Charles.  Ashes will be distributed at the Masses.

Novena of Hope 2020: Takes place next weekend, 29^th Feb – 9^th March 2020.  It begins at the  Vigil Mass (Saturday 29th Feb @ 6.30pm) and on Sunday 1^st March  @ 9am, 10.30am, 12noon and 4pm. Fr Charles Cross will speak at all the Masses. Please take a Novena leaflet home with you where you will have a full list of all the speakers.

Days for the Sick: Wednesday 4^th March @ 2.30pm & Saturday 7^th March @ 2.30pm.

Novena Petition Leaflets: Please return your Novena petitions this week. 

Children:  In preparation for the Novena of Hope we invite children through schools, and individually to submit posters. Pease send them in early this week.

Car Park: We need people to help in the car park during the Novena at the midday services. Please contact Eugene Wilson on 66324029  or leave your name and address at our Reception.

Eucharistic Ministers & Readers: Please return your reply slips by tomorrow Monday so that we can compile the rotas.

March Church cleaning group will meet this week due to the upcoming Novena. Wed 26^th  February next  @ 8.30pm.   E Burns, 

J & M Connolly, M Bonner, C Kelly, M & A Molloy, D Masterson, A Kirkup, B Pye & A O Neill. 

Guild Mass Cards: We have a new selection of cards for  Novena of Hope, Deceased, Mass Bouquets, Get Well, Birthday, Special Occasion, Thinking of You & Exam Mass Bouquets which cost £2 / €2.50 each. We also have new St Patrick’s Day Mass Bouquets available.

DUTY FOR THE WEEK:  Sun &  Mon No Duty. Mon Mass @ 8pm –  Charles. Tues –  Charles.   Wed: Victor. Thurs – Arthur                             Fri –  Charles     Sat – Arthur.

Vocation Retreat: A weekend retreat for young men interested in knowing more about life as a priest or brother in the Passionist Community will be held at Passionist Monastery, Tobar Mhuire, Crossgar, on the evening of Fri, 13 March & concluding with lunch on Sun, 15 March. Anyone interested in taking part contact Fr Victor at The Graan or Fr Paul Francis passionistvocations@gmail.com

Shop: Our shop has been restocked for our upcoming Novena. We have a new selection of Novena of Hope cards, candles along with communion and confirmation cards, gifts etc as well as large stock of religious items.